St. Pierre will defend his 170-pound crown against Johny
Hendricks in the
UFC 167 main event on Nov. 16 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in
Las Vegas. In an interview with Canada’s Sportsnet, the 32-year-old
Tristar Gym representative hinted that he would pursue a quick
finish against Hendricks, a four-time NCAA All-American wrestler
and two-time national champion.

No current champion has held UFC gold longer than St. Pierre, whose
reign will have reached 2,037 days by the time he next climbs into
the cage. However, the French-Canadian has come under increasing
fire over his propensity for going the distance. St. Pierre’s last
six bouts have all gone to the judges, as he has procured unanimous
decisions over Nick Diaz,
Carlos
Condit, Jake Shields,
Josh
Koscheck, Dan Hardy and
Thiago
Alves.

Many regard Hendricks as a serious threat. Pairing his
aforementioned wrestling credentials with a potent left hand, the
“Bigg Rigg” has emerged as the No. 1 contender in the welterweight
division. The 30-year-old Oklahoman has won six consecutive fights,
including devastating knockouts against Jon Fitch and
Martin
Kampmann.